1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for managing towing and salvage claims and, more specifically, to a unified web-implemented tow claims system specifically adapted for secondary tow and salvage management.
2. Description of the Background
There are a number of existing software solutions for the towing and vehicle salvage industry. For example, ProTow 7.0 is a shrink-wrap software package for towing companies that manages dispatching, tow truck monitoring, ticket status, vehicle release status, etc. However, this and like systems require a tower to purchase computer hardware with sufficient storage capacity for all the necessary records.
There are also a few internet-based towing packages offered by application service providers (“ASPs”). Dispatch Anywhere! by Beacon Software also offers a tow management solution to towing companies for dispatching, tow truck monitoring, ticket status, etc. This program is made available to subscriber towing companies by web portal.
There are even a few known solutions for third party management of towing services. These are necessary when a third party provider or referral service takes tow claims and distributes them to independent towing companies. AAA® is perhaps the best-known third party provider, and Service Stations Computer Systems, Inc. and other software vendors offer subscriber AAA clubs a Digital Dispatch web-based product that manages call taking, dispatching, two-way text messaging, storage lot inventory, driver scheduling and a bookkeeping interface that produces driver/mechanic commissions, inventory control, repair orders, customer follow-up, A/R, A/P and Profit & Loss, all via the Internet. All of the data is housed on Digital Dispatch's servers, and the AAA agents need only a personal computer meeting minimal technical requirements.
Similarly, U.S. Patent Application 20020065703 by Garg published May 30, 2002 discloses an ASP-based software method for managing tow tracking and dispatch. This system allows a tower with a computer connection to use the computer connection to access a database that is maintained by an ASP. The system is also capable of integrating with other dispatch and tracking systems if, for example, an insurance company desires to inspect a vehicle it had towed for hidden damage or track storage costs. While it is not clear how the system integrates, it presumably allows export of database information into the insurance company's own system. This presumes that an insurer has a tow management system A Primary or Initial tow includes services provided as the result of an initial call, often from Police after accidents, incidents, disabled vehicles, and impound requests, all for a particular vehicle. A “Secondary tow” means towing services from an operator's storage facility or place of business, after a primary tow, to another location designated by the owner/agent of a vehicle that was initially towed as a result of call from the Police. A “Salvage tow” means towing services to move a total loss vehicle.
Today, insurance companies spend approximately$1.2 billion per year in towing-related expenses during the claims process, and these costs are higher than necessary. Secondary and salvage towing costs (those absorbed by an insurer) historically have been left unmanaged by insurance companies. This is due to the fact that secondary tows are typically arranged/ordered through various towing companies without negotiated or preferred pricing, nor service management. Accountability for these costs scarcely exists since there are no formal record keeping/tracking systems on the insurer side. The Garg patent does not disclose any management functions for the insurer, and hence fails to provide an integrated system designed to coordinate the efforts of the third party software application service provider (ASP), tow operator and insurer, allowing all three parties to manage their own towing needs and costs.
It would be greatly advantageous to provide a web-based software solution that gives a single order point for secondary and salvage tows for the insurance industry to: 1) enable insurance company “Clients” (and their agents) to manage secondary tow costs through pre-negotiated pricing, geographic based dispatching, and accountability of tow vendors; 2) provide tow company “Vendors” (actual tow truck companies) to view, execute and track tow dispatches which have been assigned to them through the tow claims dispatch system; and 3) provide a third party ASP or “Manager” with management capability to implement and manage the unified tow claims system via a web portal, inclusive of dispatching tow orders, tracking orders, approving completed orders for payment, and generating account management, reports, performance tracking and other reports. A unified ASP-implemented three-party-participant system would simplify the workflow of attending insurance agents, tow operators, and other providers.